


Human Remedies

by gillianaunofficial



Series: Stella x Scully: Cancer Arc [3]
Category: The Fall (TV 2013), The X-Files
Genre: Cancer Arc (X-Files), F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 01:23:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21128468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gillianaunofficial/pseuds/gillianaunofficial
Summary: Tumblr ask: “From the 100 ways to say I love you list, #44 (“I’ll drive you to the hospital.”) and #70 (“You’re warm.”) please and cancer arc.”





	Human Remedies

Scully sipped a cup of tea at the kitchen table, the warmth sinking comfortably down her chest and yet she was still cold, even with the heating turned up and wearing 3 layers, a chill still pierced through her. Stella entered the room, removing her jacket and hanging it on the back of her chair. She looked at Scully quizzically, her red hair was limp and greasy, it hung around her shoulders, she hadn’t had time to get a haircut for at least six months and hadn’t showered for nearly a week, too tired to do anything but drink tea and read. She’d had to stop working, her doctor had been worried that it was worsening the side effects of the chemotherapy and she’d been right. Stella had tried to convince her to shower, to no avail, she couldn’t even bribe her with the promise of shower sex. Stella walked over to her and she looked up from her mug of tea.  
“Darling, are you alright?” Stella asked, her brow furrowed, an angular divot forming between her eyebrows. Scully shrugged and took another sip of her tea. When she put the mug down Stella placed a hand to her forehead, an unnatural warmth came from her skin like the glow of radium.  
“You’re warm.” Stella said, taking her hand away from her forehead. She surveyed Scully’s face. She looked exhausted, which wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary but there was something else too, something deeper that Stella couldn’t quite put her finger on.  
“I’m fine, just a bit chilly.” Scully replied.  
“Dana, you of all people know that if you feel cold and yet have a temperature you do not need to be wrapped up in all these layers. Could you please use some of your expertise on yourself? For once?” The words were strained coming out of Stella’s mouth. It made Scully feel bad, she did truly know that what she was doing was wrong but dealing with your own patients is a lot easier than dealing with yourself. Having distance from the subject.  
“I’m sorry, I’ll try.” Stella flinched at Scully’s own pain, she was trying, she really was but watching Scully go through this… It was impossible. She couldn’t watch her die because she wouldn’t take care of herself. Stella was there to love her and take care of her, in sickness and in health. There was a reason for that wedding vow.  
“Come through to the living room, I think you need a lie down. We can watch something on TV or you can sleep if you’d like?” Stella spoke as though she was tiptoeing, trying not to set off a hidden trap. She didn’t know what she could say anymore in fear of upsetting Scully.  
“Alright.” Scully said, getting up off the chair. It was like slow motion. Stella watched her stand and then she toppled, her eyes shut. Stella lunged forward, catching her body in her arms, she barely even weighed anything at that point. She was scared. Stella was scared, scared that she would die, that she wouldn’t wake up. The anxiety barely subsided as she slowly lowered her body to the floor, making sure not to bump her head. Scully’s eyes reopened when she met the cold tile, her pupils dilated.  
“What happened?” Scully said, attempting to sit up, lightheadedness hitting her again. Stella grabbed her round the waist so she would have something to lean against.  
“You fainted, darling.” Stella said, her voice shaky, yet trying to hide the fear so Scully wouldn’t suspect how worried she was. Scully didn’t want her to worry.  
“Oh.” Was all Scully said, she bit her lip as a sudden bolt of pain and queasiness shot through her body. Stella pursed her lips before lifting Scully’s body into her arms.  
“I’ll drive you to the hospital.”

They arrived at the hospital ten minutes later, Scully had been drifting in and out of consciousness for the whole car journey and Stella had drove at the speed limit, swearing whenever she had to wait at a red light. Stella had to carry Scully through to A&E, she didn’t have the ability to walk and she weighed not much more than just skin and bone, so Stella could carry her. Stella got Scully to sit down before finding the receptionist of the A&E. She knocked on the glass covering of the little office. The receptionist, a portly woman in her late 50s turned to her.  
“Take a form and sit down, they’re over there.” Before she could turn back round Stella started to get mad.  
“I have a chemotherapy patient sitting in a chair in that awful waiting room, she fainted and for the last 15 minutes she’s barely been able to stay conscious. So I am not going to wait 16 fucking hours for her to get treatment, Okay? I am not letting her die on your watch.” The receptionist glared at her.  
“Alright fine, I’ll call up.” The woman turned away, a sour look on her face.

They sat in a hospital cubicle, Scully in a hospital gown, her vitals being tracked, a saline IV pumping into her wrist. She was ill. At least that’s what they thought, a common cold or the flu, most likely. To most other people it would just be a minor inconvenience but to someone with a weakened immune system it could be devastating. Stella had moved her chair closer to Scully’s bed so she could hold her hand. The nurses and doctors came in every now and then. They’d determined that on top of being ill she’d been dehydrated, despite tea being mostly water based it was still a mild diuretic and tea was the bulk of what Scully had lately been drinking.  
“I told you to drink water, you should know these things.” Stella said, as a nurse checking Scully’s stats left.  
“I know, don’t rub it in.” Scully replied, she sighed, the breath came from deep within her body within her soul. “I’m just so tired.” She muttered, bitterness coursing through the words. Stella strokes Scully’s hand.  
“I know my darling, I know.”


End file.
